Love Lasts Through The Great Flame
by Jewel1001
Summary: Sequel to Sickness And Love. Please read that one first! Jaden and Aster return to London. Jaden searches for Jesse, but he can't find him, and Jaden begins to worry. And elsewhere in the city, in Pudding Lane, flames will grow.
1. Prologue

Hazeru - Hello, everyone! This is the sequel to Sickness And Love. :D

Hera - It's based on the second book, Petals In The Ashes.

Hazeru - I didn't like it as much as the first book, so I'll have to twist the storyline more, so bear with me.

Hera - Anyway, here's the prologue.

Hazeru - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Petals In The Ashes

Prologue

Planning

The carefully kept trees filled the orchard with the sweet scent of fruit and rich, glossy green leaves. The sun's yellow rays bathed the trees in a golden glow that could only ever be achieved at sunset. The sky above wasn't fully blue now; it was patched with pink, the colour of rose petals.

On the white fence surrounding the orchard, a single brunette sat with his eyes closed in near silence, his breathing quiet enough to be covered up by the sounds of the leaves rustling gently in the soft breeze of the wind.

Sunset was a wonderful time of day, when the sun departed for the day and allowed the moon to take on its role of shining brightly in the sky. The moon didn't have its own shine, but Jaden Yuki didn't know that, and if he had he wouldn't have cared.

Jaden had been living in Chertsey, his home town, for about five weeks since he had received the letter from the man he loved, Jesse Andersen, and he had been home there for just over four months.

Now that he had lived and relived the story of his and Aster's escape from the plague-filled city of London, telling the story to all who wanted to hear and re-telling it for those who were enthralled - well, now he was bored with it. Life in Chertsey had become the normality of his life again, the way it had been before he had ever gone to London. His regular duties were no longer making and selling bread and cakes in their bakery. Now, his duties were minding the sheep on the common and milking the family cow and other jobs that didn't interest him.

Now that everything was returning to normal, life in Chertsey was every bit as tedious as it had been before.

As the sun continued its path, disappearing on the horizon, Jaden got up and began the short journey from the family orchard to their home. At the moment, since Jaden's family was visiting a cousin who lived far away, he had the house to himself. Or at least he would have, had Aster not chosen to move in with him for good.

Aster's mother, they had discovered, was going to have another baby. Aster didn't want to be in the way when the new baby came - he had had enough of caring for babies when he and Jaden had looked after baby Vicky Truesdale - and so decided to help Jaden however he could.

Jaden wouldn't have minded, but Aster still bossed him around and took charge of any small situations or problems - and the problems, in Chertsey, were always small ones. There was certainly no major disaster like a deadly sickness.

Jaden was glad that the news had come from London - the cold weather, a great freeze, had vastly decreased the numbers dying of the plague, and everyone was relieved. It was estimated that, soon, the plague would have pretty much died down entirely.

It was now January, and people were beginning to return to London, but not in great numbers. The king and his court, too, had not returned, fearing that the illness may still take hold on them if they did.

Jaden himself wanted to return very soon.

Life in Chertsey, much as he had loved seeing his family again, was dull. He wanted the everyday adventure that came with a life in the big city. He longed for the walks around the many shops and the crowdedness of the busy London streets. He wanted to reopen their little bakery and see which of their neighbours had survived and which had perished. He wanted to visit that little tailor shop again, the one he liked, that sold the red clothing. He even wanted to see how Chazz Princeton was doing. That man was grumpy and opinionated, but Jaden liked him well enough. It could be fun to tease him, anyway.

Yes, there were many reasons why Jaden Yuki was eager to return to London. The city was once again becoming safe. When he had left, he had feared the city's very name but now - now he wanted to go back, to start again with a regular lifestyle. One that was free of the fear the sickness had brought with it.

The reasons he wanted to return were many, but one stood out boldly.

Jesse Andersen was in London. Jaden wanted to return to him so badly.

Jaden had written to him a few times since receiving Jesse's first letter, but letters could take such a long time to arrive, and then he had to wait for a reply. So far he had, including the first one, three letters from Jesse.

Jesse didn't actually say anything very much, just the little goings-on in his life, but for Jaden it was enough. That was all he every said to Jesse in his own letters, anyway.

The two still ended their letters with the word 'love' but there were no more long love-letters.

Sighing, Jaden reached the door of his house and pushed it open. He looked inside to find that Aster was sitting very close to the door, not doing anything.

"Aster, you okay?" Jaden asked.

"Yeah, fine" Aster said. "My mother sent a letter. It arrived today."

Aster's mother was sending him letters instead of just coming round? That was a new one on Jaden, but the brunette didn't let it show on his face.

"So what did she say?"

"Nothing really" Aster muttered, and he scrunched up the letter that Jaden hadn't even noticed he was holding. "She's doing well, baby's due around the end of summer, all that stuff."

"Good for her" Jaden murmured.

Aster nodded in agreement, but soon his calm features turned suspicious as he looked at Jaden's face. The brunette seemed to be in his own fantasy world, and Aster could make a pretty good guess of whom his cousin was daydreaming about.

"Jaden, I've been thinking" Aster started.

"About what?"

"Well, I don't want to be here when my new brother or sister gets here. Half brother or sister, that is. And I don't get on with my step-father, as you know."

Jaden nodded solemnly. Aster never had got along with his step-father very well, and he wasn't happy that he and his mother were having their own baby. Or maybe, in a way, he was. It meant that his mother had someone to love when Aster left.

Aster grinned at his cousin.

"The numbers of people dying are … almost gone, really. So, how about we give it a week or two - three tops - and then go back to London?"

Jaden sat in stunned silence.

Had he heard that right? Had Aster just suggested they go back soon?

That meant that they could start all over again. It meant he could see everyone he missed. It meant he could be back with Jesse.

"For real?" he grinned, practically bouncing up and down with excitement. He hadn't wanted to go on his own, he would never have managed in the bakery alone. "We can go in two weeks?"

"Sure. If nothing comes up that keeps us here, obviously."

Jaden pounced on his cousin, holding him in a tight hug before he released him when Aster protested loudly. Jaden's smile was enough that Aster didn't mind too badly, though. He hadn't seen Jaden that happy in a long time.

Pretty much since he'd gotten the letter that told him Jesse was alive.

Aster sighed, wondering what he had just started.

Jaden, on the other hand, was looking out of the small, glassless window with a huge grin on his features, making him look somehow slightly younger.

The sun was almost gone now, signalling the end of that day.

And the beginning of another.

Hazeru - How sentimental xD

Hera - You wrote it. R&R please


	2. Chapter 1  Return

Hazeru - Here's another chapter, sorry it took so long.

Hera - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Petals In The Ashes

Chapter 1

Return

"Will you please settle down?" Aster groaned, watching his excited cousin running riot around their small boat, which more resembled a raft. "You're going to tip us over."

"I can't help it" Jaden muttered, his eyes caught on the sights and sounds that he had missed so badly.

The two were now on the river of London, about to depart from their raft and step onto the shore.

About to move back into their London bakery.

Jaden looked intently at the city that was London, and it was took his breath away. The city they were returning to was so different to the one they had fled from.

When he had left, he had hated London - hated the name, the sights, the sounds, everything. It had been a plague infested death-trap. People had not strayed from their homes until it was absolutely necessary, and animals had been killed lest they be the ones to spread the disease. The city in and of itself, then, had held no motivation to keep him there.

And yet here they were, and it was all so different.

People and animals crowded the streets, everyone going about their own business in their own manner. The river was crowded with boats and rafts and the occasion, very brave - or suicidal - person in amongst them. They had to speak very loudly, near shout even, to be heard over the continuous noise of the busy city. People everywhere wore the brightest clothes in every fashion - some the latest, some from many years ago, depending on how wealthy that person was.

And all Jaden could think about as he looked at the city, was that his greatest motive to be here, wasn't even in his sight yet.

Jesse Andersen.

He had the letter ducked in the pocket of his jacket, and every so often he would let his fingers grasp the paper contently. It felt so much nicer to hold that monumental piece of parchment - it was his one piece of proof that Jesse was, indeed, alive. That Jesse had survived the sickness even though so many others had died.

Jesse's letter was Jaden's hope. It had no return address, but that wasn't a problem. He would trace down the maker of the parchment, the seller of the ink, if he had to, and he would find Jesse.

Maybe it would take some time, maybe it would be easy. Jaden didn't know that yet.

All he knew was that he was going to find Jesse. No matter what.

/

The streets being crowded - and dirty and smelly, seeing as the population of London was gradually rising once more - it took Jaden and Aster over an hour to finally reach their bakery.

And once they reached it, things didn't run perfectly smoothly, either.

The shutters of the shop were down and neither Jaden nor Aster had the strength to budge them, though the two fought valiantly to gain entrance to the shop. It surprised them - how stiff the shutters had become. A result of the abnormally cold and icy winter weather of the previous year. It had killed off the plague, though, so they didn't like to taunt fate by cursing that weather.

After struggling for a further six minutes, Jaden eventually collapsed on the ground in the shape of a starfish, groaning about it being hopeless. Aster rolled his blue eyes and looked around.

There has to be something, he thought.

But he needn't have wasted his thinking power.

Because, at that very moment, a familiar face caught their eyes.

This familiar person stopped next to them, his expression shocked briefly, and then soon becoming joyful as he greeted the two cousins cheerfully.

"Jaden and Aster. Not dead of the sickness, then" he grinned.

"Nope. We don't fall that easy" Jaden grinned back.

Aster just rolled his eyes again.

"Jim, do you think you could give us a hand? The shutters are stuck and we can't budge them."

"No problem" Jim Cook smiled.

With the strength of a third man, the shutters to their bakery finally gave way and opened up. Aster and Jaden looked into their shop. Jaden's heart sank while Aster buried his face in his hands. Jim just whistled in disappointment for them.

"It's gonna take a bit of work to sort this mess out" he spoke.

The shop was a mess, it was true. The herbs that had been strewn on the floor when they'd left had become rotten and gave off a foul odour. The walls had mould and were unpleasant to look at. The herbs they had bought to help in the making of 'plague-preventing breads and cakes' had also rotted and were giving off a nasty stench. Not to mention, the ingredients they had been using for their cakes and breads were either mouldy, rock solid or just plain gone off.

Indeed, it was going to take a while before they would be baking and selling again.

/

Jaden and Aster decided that they would, the very next day, set to work cleaning up the shop, buying new ingredients and do everything else that the shop required. Aster hoped that they could be making and selling their products again within the week, and Jaden knew that he would have to spend the week working hard.

"So did your wife survive as well?" Aster questioned Jim.

Jim gave him a thumbs up sign, along with a smile.

Jim's wife, Jasmine, had not contracted the sickness, either. She and Jim had been free of the plague, as had their two daughters.

Jaden smiled at Jim heartily.

Jim and his family had survived. Perhaps Chazz Princeton had, too. He'd have to go and see as soon as he could.

But as long as Jesse had survived, Jaden knew that he could keep going. Working in London was going to be great.

He'd have his job at the bakery and the companionship of his cousin Aster, and he would also have his friends - including Jim, and hopefully, Chazz.

And he would have Jesse. As soon as he found him.

Hazeru - Jim lives! :D

Hera - By the way, she hasn't decided yet if Chazz has survived or not.

Hazeru - Let us know which you want: Chazz to have died, or Chazz to have lived.

Hera - R&R please!


	3. Chapter 2  The Good And The Bad

Hazeru - We're SOOOO sorry that we've neglected this story for so long.

Hera - We're finally back with an update, so please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 2

The Good And The Bad

It took several days – several hard, work-filled days composed of scrubbing and scrapping – before Aster pronounced their shop to be fit for business, and even then they had to go to the market to purchase the necessary ingredients so that they could, within their newly presentable shop, begin baking.

The city was, Jaden was pleased to notice, just as bustling and full of life as it had been before the sickness had come; now it was as the city had never been touched by plague at all, for there were no houses boarded up with a fearful red cross nor any corpses in the streets, although in the church graveyards the ground was swollen unmistakably. But the people wandering the streets affected not to notice this, for they wore smiles and exchanged witty banter as if they had no memory of a plague-torn London – and indeed some of them probably did not, for many of these people were new to the city, having come to fill the jobs left by those who had died.

The city was aglow with life once again, so much so that Jaden did not even notice that he examined the faces of the people he passed eagerly, ever hopeful that he would see Jesse in amongst the crowed. There was no such luck, but Jaden was optimistic, and basic logic told him that it was unlikely for him to just wander into his beloved bluenette; changes were he'd have to seek him out, and that was fine, too.

But before he could go seeking anybody out, he had to accompany Aster to this stall and that and give his input and opinions where his cousin demanded them; he had long ago learned that it was not a good idea to mess with Aster's business skills, for he was very skilled in these areas and found Jaden's more simplistic ideology to be infuriating.

Jaden's brown eyes scanned the marketplace, noticing with disappointment that few of the stall-keepers attending were the same ones he had seen before the plague. He had gotten to know one or two of them, passing well, and was slightly saddened by the likely knowledge that they had died.

Nevertheless, this new bunch seemed as lively and jovial as the previous lot, and the crowd was so bustling and heavy that Jaden found it almost funny to think that, not so very long ago, these streets had been deserted, save for the occasional terrified peasant and rotting corpse.

/

It was in this new crowd – filled to the brim with so many different conversations that it was hard to hear what one's own companion was saying – that Jaden heard two very different pieces of information, one of which pleased him and one of which did not.

The first was a wonderful reassurance for Jaden. He overheard the conversation of two men whilst waiting for his cousin to decide which herbs to purchase.

"I must express my admiration for that jacket you're wearing, my friend" one man said. "It's such a fine shade of burgundy. Wherever did you acquire it?"

"At Princeton's Tailors, the small shop that sells the red clothing" his friend answered.

"Their business survived the sickness, then?" the first inquired, to which his friend responded with the affirmative.

After this, Jaden did not listen to any more of their conversation, for he was filled to the brim with joy. Princeton's Tailors was the business of his 'friend', Chazz Princeton, and if they were still in business, then that meant that Chazz was likely still trading there! Jaden couldn't resist grabbing Aster by the shoulder.

"Hey, guess what! Chazz is alive!"

His cousin raised one weary brow at him before muttering something that sounded like a sarcastic 'well, isn't that nice' before turning around and resuming his judgment of the baking herbs selection.

Jaden grumbled for a moment about his lack of interest before allowing his face to break out into a grin once more; it was difficult not to smile when you had just learned that your friend had survived a deadly plague.

Unfortunately, his smile was not long lasting, for he caught snippets of the conversation of two passing women, and what he heard frightened him.

"And so they say that this year is the Year of the Beast?" the redhead gasped, clinging to her companion's arm. "Why this year?"

"Because of the numbers, Abigail, my dear" the taller, blonde women said gravely. "The year is 1666, and the triple occurrence of sixes is the number of the Beast. I heard from a travelling peddler that the fortune tellers are foretelling that this is a judgement from God."

"And what is to happen?"

"He said that a fire will fall from the heavens and cleanse the city."

There was another gasp from her companion and the redhead asked another question, but by this point they were too far away from Jaden to be within his range of hearing. And it was possibly a good thing.

The Year of the Beast? A cleansing fire?

He shook off his initial fear and a cheeky grin replaced the worried expression; what complete nonsense. If there was a judgement from God, it had surely been the last year, with the plague. Because nothing could be worse than that...

/

After two solid weeks of work, their business was finally running smoothly. They finally had a goodly supply of breads and cakes, some plain and some with herbs or fruits, and now that they were open for business, their customers were returning steadily. All in all it seemed that their return to London had been a rather successful return, and Jaden was sure that he had not seen Aster so happy in a long time.

So happy was his cousin that there were no questions and instant permission was given when Jaden asked if he could take a two hour leave and go to the tailors'; he was admittedly taking advantage of his cousin's good mood, but at least he was free for a few hours.

It was a pleasant walk to the shop – smiling faces, busy city, sun in the sky, truly a picture of life, so contrasting to the dismal city he remembered leaving. This one was far, far more desirable.

Upon arriving, Jaden was at first confused to see that the sign had changed: it still read the same Princeton's Tailors, but was in a different shape and the writing style was quite different. It still, however, gave off the impression of pride, so was indeed not so different to the old one.

Jaden pushed open the door and looked inside, startled momentarily. Things had been rearranged, and now the red clothing which the shop was famed for was on display all around the front room; Jaden had to admit, he liked the change, even though he still remembered the shop as being the place where he and Jesse had first met.

He idly stroked the arm of the nearest jacket; the material was costly and fine and shimmered when the light hit it just right. It was a lovely garment but too loose-fitting for his own tastes, and probably too expensive anyway.

"Chazz, you about?" he asked in a raised voice.

There was a muffled groan and a grumbling and then, from the back room and with some scarlet material draped around his shoulders, Chazz's head emerged.

Jaden's grin broadened. Chazz was completely unchanged; same dark, spiked hair, same dull eyes, same scowl.

"Not you again" he growled, when he noticed the unmistakable smiling brunette – this was the one that insisted that they were friends, the one that smiled all the time and the one who he himself had admitted to when he feared for his sweetheart's life. In the end, Chazz had been right: Blair had not survived. But Jesse had!

"What's up?" Jaden grinned, and the two fell into some form of conversation.

Jaden couldn't explain in words how euphoric he felt: the city was alive, Chazz had not perished, their business was doing well, Jim was well, Aster was in a good mood...

And best of all, somewhere out there in this enormous, full-of-life city, Jesse was alive, too.

Hazeru - I did not kill Chazz ;D

Hera - Hope that was okay. Please R&R


End file.
